Fans are never going to get declarative statements about the intentions of Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, he is not wired that way and will never give even a solid hint of what he is thinking or might eventually do.

But in his own nuanced way, with everyone wondering if he’s in a tear-down or build-around mood, Ujiri hinted Wednesday that letting the status quo exist for a while might be the best move he could make.

That would mean no fire sale of talent to tank a season, no earth-shattering moves to entirely revamp a roster, just a steady progression of moves he feels are astute to make what he has better.

“I think it’s a tough call right now,” he said at a brief media session to formally announce the Andrea Bargnani-to-New York trade. “We have to continue studying the team and then studying what’s out there. What are we going to do? Throw players away? We’re not going to do that.

“I think winning is what you want to build around …(not tanking). I’m not sure the karma is great when you do stuff like that. I understand the whole big picture and we are putting all the options on the table.”

Unequivocal? Hardly. But at least a hint that the new GM is okay with the relatively minor moves he’s made so far.

“I’m looking at this situation and we’re going to take it as it comes and see what comes our way,” he said. “We’re going to be aggressive out there but we also owe it (to ourselves) to see what we have on our team instead of doing something stupid quickly.

“If something reasonable comes our way and we feel that it’s something that’s going to help the Toronto Raptors then we’ll do it. But other than this, this is our team and we’ll keep plugging away.”

The team now includes stretch four Steve Novak, the centerpiece of the four-player Bargnani transaction. Toronto got three draft picks — a first-rounder in 2016 and second-round selections in 2014 and 2017 — along with Marcus Camby and Quentin Richardson.

But the chances of either Camby or Richardson ever setting foot in Toronto are remote. Both are seeking either buyouts to their existing contracts — Camby has two years left on his deal, Richardson has two guaranteed years and an option — that provide Ujiri with assets to shop.

“Obviously, we don’t know what trades might come up in the next few days, a buyout, we’ll weigh all those options … and make a decision that’s best for the Raptors,” said the GM.

Wednesday marked the official lifting of a 10-day league-imposed moratorium on any player transactions and also opened the window to use an amnesty clause that allows a team to waive one player and realize significant luxury tax savings. Under amnesty rules, the logical target in Toronto would be little-used and oft-injured Linas Kleiza but Ujiri — surprise — did not tip his hand.

He made need Kleiza’s salary — about $4.5 million (all figures U.S.) — to facilitate a bigger transaction or he may want to amnesty him and sign a free agent. Either way, he’s keeping his options open.

“I think the smart way to do it would be to wait,” said Ujiri. “We haven’t made a decision yet but we don’t know what kind of trades will come our way; the next four or five days you’ll be able to tell because a lot of the free agents are gone now and teams will be looking to make decisions.”

In Novak, who played for current Raptors coach Dwane Casey when Casey was an assistant in Dallas, the Raptors did get a player who addresses a need. Toronto was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league last season; Novak is a career 43-per-cent shooter from behind the arc.

“With change in leadership and other small changes they’ve made, it’s a great opportunity right now,” he said.

“I know I’m a floor spacer, I shoot the ball, give guys room to work who are more interior players, big men or slashers. I think that’s very much the makeup of the Raptors.”

Meanwhile, the team could not officially confirm the addition of free-agent forward Tyler Hansbrough. He’s agreed to a two-year contract — the first fully guaranteed for about $3 million, the second a team option with a $1 million buyout — because the deal has not yet been signed and filed with the league. Ujiri did say there were no issues that would hold it up.

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